No, Mycroft Holmes was much more than that. He was, Sherlock Holmes later said, “the most indispensable man in the country…the central exchange, the clearing house” for matters of national security. Occasionally, in that most famous of comments about Mycroft Holmes, he was the British government. With this in mind, consider these elements in the account of “The Greek Interpreter:” It just so happens that, after anywhere from seven to a dozen years, depending on the chronology that you follow, Watson is astonished to learn in an off-hand exchange that his friend, fellow lodger, confidant and colleague, Sherlock Holmes, has an older brother. It just so happens that this older brother is only a five-minute walk distant, so Holmes and Watson decide to take a leisurely stroll over to the Diogenes Club to meet the mysterious Mycroft just minutes after Watson learns of his existence. It just so happens that, once they get there, Mycroft Holmes has an interesting mystery for Sherlock and Dr. Watson to investigate. This mystery involves a Greek interpreter named Melas, who has endured a hair-raising experience. It just so happens that this hair-raising experience took place just two evenings ago. It just so happens that Melas lives in the same building as Mycroft Holmes. It just so happens that Melas is available at a moment’s notice to come to the Diogenes Club and repeat his story to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. It just so happens that Sherlock Holmes has nothing better to do at the moment, and he decides to pursue the matter, since Mycroft doesn’t possess the energy to do so. It just so happens that this is all a bunch of baloney, an elaborate set-up, a piece of theatre staged for the benefit of the credulous Dr. Watson. Sherlock Holmes knew perfectly well that the game was afoot before he revealed the secret of Mycroft’s existence to Watson. And Sherlock Holmes lets the cat out of the bag a little later in the story, when he admits, “Some of my most interesting cases have come to me in this way through Mycroft.” To make the case, take a look at Mycroft’s description of Melas to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson:

“He lodges on the floor above me, and I have some slight acquaintance with him. Mr. Melas is a Greek by extraction, as I understand, and he is a remarkable linguist. He earns his living as

Canadian Holmes ¬ Fall 2017 7